ISLAMABAD: Additional Insp­ec­tor General (AIG) of Police Mohammad Aamir Zulfiqar Khan has been appointed as police chief of the capital. He succeeds Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Jan Mohammad — a grade-20 officer.

According to the notification issued by the establishment division, Mr Khan, a grade-21 officer, was posted as an officer on special duty before the appointment was made.

Mr Khan takes over from his predecessor Jan Mohammad, who voluntarily relinquished charge on Friday.

Zulfiqar Khan takes over from his predecessor Jan, who voluntarily relinquished charge

A week ago, Mr Jan was removed from the post over a complaint by Federal Minister of Sciences and Technology Mohammad Azam Khan Swati.

Mr Jan’s removal notification was issued by the establishment division last Saturday, when he was at the airport to board a Malaysia-bound flight, the police stated, adding that he was leaving to attend a course on ex-Pakistan leave.

He was scheduled to return on Nov 5, but was called back immediately on the directives of the apex court, which had asked him to resume his office.

The chief justice of Pakistan had taken suo motu notice of the matter in the wake of conflicting reports over Mr Jan’s removal and cancelled the order to relieve him of his duties.

On the directives of the court, Mr Jan came back to office, but according to sources, did not work and went straight to the interior minister, who had summoned him.

Mr Jan was posted in Islamabad by the caretaker government in July, sources said, adding that the current government had transferred the police chiefs of Punjab and Sindh after the elections.

Mr Jan also served as DIG security wing in Islamabad, but was removed by Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in 2014 when he was interior minister. Allegedly, some police officials had mistreated a journalist on the directives of Mr Jan.

Upon assuming charge as police chief in Islamabad, Mr Jan also reportedly surrendered Asmat­ullah Junejo — serving as AIG Operations at the time — to the establishment division. Repo­rtedly, Mr Junejo was conducting an inquiry over alleged corruption in police welfare funds in the security division.

The newly appointed Islamabad police chief, Zulfiqar Khan, joined the Police Services of Pakistan in 1991 as assistant superintendent of police (ASP).

He was the first police officer to be awarded both the President Police Medal and the Quaid-i-Azam Police Medal as an ASP. He served in the Frontier Con­stabulary and also has experience in Sindh and Punjab.

He held key offices in Lahore in the special branch, and was also posted in Multan. Mr Khan has also served a year in the police mission in Bosnia, and was commandant of the Police College Sihala.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2018